


Providence

by pleaseputmeinthetrash



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Also kind of a pervert, Ecto-Genitalia (Undertale), Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Minor Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Multi, Original Character(s), Papyrus is a cinnamon roll, Polyamorous relationship, Reader has established background, Reader-Insert, Size Difference, Slow Burn, and a pervert, post pacifist run, sans is a jerk, soul mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-18 19:27:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16523216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleaseputmeinthetrash/pseuds/pleaseputmeinthetrash
Summary: Happenstance would have it that the empty house across the street from yours is bought by two monsters, who you quickly find yourself befriending. Through them you meet two skeletons. One is as sweet as pie and the other is...actually kind of a jerk. To say the least, they're both interesting and you like that.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's my first time, please be gentle (◡‿◡)

  


The little sign that had been planted in the lawn of the house across the street was finally gone. It had been almost half a year since you’d first seen it. ‘FOR SALE’ It read in big black letters. Then it said ‘SOLD’ in bigger brighter red letters. Now it was gone and whoever had bought the house would be moving in any day. You were a little surprised that it had taken so long to sell. It was a nice house. A little small, like yours, but you had poked around inside with the realtor when it first went up and it looked like it had plenty of room for at least two people to live comfortably. At least you thought so. The neighborhood wasn’t bad either, a little cul-de-sac with less than thirty houses. It was close enough to Ebott City to make for convenient shopping, yet far enough away to be quiet and peaceful at night. You loved it, but you knew it wasn’t for everybody. Not everyone wanted a slice of suburban pie.  
  
Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter now. The house was sold, and you were chock-full of cautious optimism towards the buyer. The woman who had lived there before was a royal bitch, a borderline psychopath in your opinion. The list of her ridiculous antics varied in caliber from shouting nasty things at you and your best friend Margie during your morning jogs together, to telling Slip Nell, a slug monster from down the street, that she’d throw salt on her and her children if they even touched the sidewalk in front of her house. She was unanimously despised by almost everyone on the block. When you heard she was moving you were pleased as a peach and you had your suspicions it was a shared feeling. Now she was being replaced and the bar for said replacement was set so low that a piece of paper could barely slip under it.  
  
You and Margie were sitting together in your kitchen when the first moving truck rumbled up to the curb. Margie stood and scurried over the window above the sink, brushing the curtain aside to look out. She was every bit as curious about the new neighbor as you, which was unsurprising since she lived just three houses down from you. You joined her, your iced tea still in hand.  
  
“See anyone?” She shook her head.  
  
“Just the movers.”  
  
“I doubt anyone will show up today. They probably want to get some of their stuff in first.” You watched two men lug a very heavy looking dresser off the truck. Margie leaned further over the sink and bit her lip. “God, please let them be cute. I’m so tired of doughy middle-aged men that think it’s okay to do all their yard work shirtless.” You snorted into your cup and gave her a nudge.  
  
“Hey, hey, don’t talk about Mr. Holland like that. He shares the beer that gave him that gut, which makes him an upstanding citizen,” you pointed your finger at her, “not to be slander by the likes of you.” She slapped your finger away and the two of you broke into giggles. After a few minutes of watching the movers you returned to the table and got on with your lunch.  
  
“You know,” Margie said in between bites, “I was talking to Kelly the other day.” Kelly was a twenty-something-year-old that walked dogs and ran a kennel out of her house for a living. She was also very chatty which left you unsurprised by that. “She said, and I don’t know how she’d know this, that she heard that the new neighbor is a scientist or something.”  
  
“A scientist? That’s vague.”  
  
“Yeah. So I asked her to elaborate but apparently that’s all she knows. Go figure.” She stuffed the last of her sandwich in her mouth and stood up, brushing the crumbs off her pants. You scoffed at her indignantly.  
  
“Do you want me to get ants?” She stuck her tongue out at you.  
  
“What time are you leaving for work tonight?”  
  
“Nine. I’m gonna lay down soon.” You had been working mostly nights for quite some time and your sleeping schedule had drastically rearranged itself. You spent most of your days dragging yourself around, exhausted. Today was no exception and you were dying for a nap before your shift.  
  
She came around the table and bent down to give you a hug. “Alright, babe. Be careful at work. I’ll text you if I see anything across the street, okay?”  
  
“Keep your word on that. My curiosity is piqued.” She left the kitchen laughing and headed to the door. You heard her stop for just a minute to give the large orange tomcat sitting on the back of your couch a scratch on the head.  
  
“Buh-bye, Morris! Buh-bye, handsome boy!” You heard her say before the door opened and clicked shut. You stood and took the dishes from your lunches to the sink, setting them in to ‘let them soak’. In the living room, you dropped down on the couch unceremoniously. Morris quickly slid off the back of it and moved to your lap as you turned on the TV with the plan of watching just a bit of news before you went upstairs to nap. Staring, not particularly at the TV screen but in whatever direction fatigued dissociation points, you thought about what Margie told you, what Kelly had told her. A scientist. That would be interesting if it were true. But you didn’t think about it much more. You didn’t get the chance since you were already asleep. 

-

Two afternoons later saw you, once again, strewn snoozing on the couch. After another long and stressful shift you had come home, sat down and blinked into the dream world. When you opened your eyes, it was past noon and the sun was shinning through the curtains over the bay window by the door. One leg was hanging off the side of the couch and your neck was craned at an angle you knew would leave it stiff. Your work jacket and uniform were balled up on the floor where you’d stripped them off and tossed them when you walked in the door at around 5:30 this morning. You sat up and rubbed your eyes, then grabbed your phone from the coffee table.  
  
Among your notifications were two missed calls and a string of text messages from Margie. You didn’t have a chance to read past the first sentence ( _omg I met them! _) before the doorbell rang, making you jump and drop the phone with a clatter.__  
  
“Just a minute!” You called out when the bell rang again a few seconds later. You stood and pulled on your pants, then ran your fingers through your hair with the hope that it would make you look less disheveled. You went quickly to the door and opened it. Standing on your front porch was a short lizard monster with vibrant yellow scales, wearing a black t-shirt with an indistinctly familiar pink anime cat on it under a white button-up. She looked incredibly nervous, the scales on her nose beneath her thick glasses almost orange from apparent fluster. You were almost concerned by how on edge she looked just standing under your gaze.  
  
“Can I help you?” You asked, and she gave you a shaky smile, her mouth full of sharp little teeth.  
  
“H-Hi! I’m sorry to, uh, bother you but,” she held out a small stack of envelopes and a local newspaper, “I think we got some of your mail in our box! And I just, um, wanted to make sure you got it.”  
  
“Oh thanks. That’s so nice of you. I take it you’re the one that bought the house across the street?” It was a simple deduction. The mailman used to put your mail in Susan’s box every now and then. Of course, when that would happen it would end up in the gutter or scattered across your lawn, not being handed to you at your door.  
  
“Yeah. My girlfriend a-and me. It’s our first place together.” She looked down at her hands blushing and you smiled.  
  
“That’s so nice. You guys are going to love it here.” She looked up at you and you offered her your hand, introducing yourself. She took it, her claws feeling particularly sharp against your skin as you shook. You told her your name and she nodded.  
  
“H-heh, yeah. I, um, I guessed so.” She gestured at the mail and you realized she must’ve read it in the address when she saw the envelopes didn’t belong to her or her girlfriend. “My name’s A-Alphys. It’s a pleasure to meet you too. I, um, was-,” she looked down again and you followed her gaze. Morris had come to the door and was sitting between your feet, starring up at the stranger on the steps.  
  
“That’s Morris.” You nodded down at him.  
  
“Hi, M-Morris. I’m Alphys.” She said with a little wave, but the cat sat impassively, blue eyes unblinking. Your smile widened. Not only had she greeted him but introduced herself as well. That was, frankly, adorable and you felt an instant like for her concreting itself somewhere in your head.  
  
“Do you wanna come in?" you asked. "I can make some tea or coffee or something.” You were genuinely interested in getting to know her and standing on the front steps felt like an inconvenient and tiring place to do that. Besides, you could use a cup of coffee. She seemed surprised, but the look on her face suggested she wanted to accept your offer.  
  
“I’d really love to,” she said, her fingers twiddling against each other, “but I have to be in Ebott City soon and I-I can’t be late. I’m really, really sorry.”  
  
“Psh,” you dismissed her unnecessary apology. “Don’t worry about it. But, hey. You and your girlfriend should come over sometime. We can do brunch, maybe?” She perked back up and nodded.  
  
“Yes! T-that sounds great. Do you, um, wanna exchange numbers?”  
  
“Sure. Lemme get my phone.” You went to turn around, but she objected.  
  
“Wait! You can just put it in mine and I’ll text you. If that’s okay?” You nodded. She brought up her contacts and handed you her phone. There was a cute little fish charm hanging off of it that had Morris’ attention. You put in your number and gave it back. Instead of waiting until the two of you went your separate ways, she texted you on the spot. Your phone made a hideous buzzing noise as it vibrated against the wooden floor of your living room. “That, uh, that’s me m-my number.”  
  
“I kind of figured.” You said, chuckling. “I’m off on Sunday, if you guys have nothing going on. Just text me and let me know when you’re free.”  
  
“O-okay! And, you can text me, whenever. You know, heh-h-heh. I mean, that’s what neighbors do.” She paused and glanced away, almost as if she thought she was overstepping, “Right?”  
  
“Sure. We should be friends if we’re going to live across the street from each other. I have to warn you though,” you said with joking mischievousness, “I have a bad habit of sending people dumb memes at two in the morning.”  
  
“O.M.G.” Her eyes turned into perfect circles behind her glasses, “Me too! I, uh, hah-hah, I don’t sleep much. Well, I don’t sleep consistently, I guess, is a better way to put it.”  
  
“Mmmhm. I feel that. Work really sticks it to my sleep schedule.” She began to stutter something out in reply, but her phone made a tiny beep! _, cutting off her words. Then it beeped again, and again in rapid succession several more times_  
  
“Hah-hah sorry, sorry. Speaking of work...” She bit her lip as she tapped away at the screen faster than you’d seen anyone do since high school. When she finished, she looked back up at you. “Really, r-really sorry about that. That guy is kind of, uh, a pain sometimes. Not that I mean he’s a jerk or something!” She held up her palms as if she thought her comment was something so distasteful it needed correcting. “He’s nice! Not nice like his brother, but nice in his, um, o-own sort of way. It’s just that his jokes can get kind of—oh, I’m, um, rambling.” You were unsure why she had blasted her own comment so loud that her voice made Morris scurry back into the house, but you weren’t about to pry. She looked like she felt almost guilty about saying something so inoffensive. “Um, anyway, I should probably go. If I’m late everyone’ll be staring at me when I walk in.”  
  
“Yeah, don’t let me hold you up. Again, it’s really nice to meet you and thanks for bringing me my mail.”  
  
“Of course! Uh a-anytime.” She was smiling again, it was crooked and awkward and obviously still riddled with the jitters of a first time face-to-face with someone new. Maybe next time, you hoped, she’d be more comfortable around you.  
  
“Let me know if you and your girlfriend want to get together on Sunday. Or whenever.”  
  
“I’ll ask her tonight! See you later!” With that she darted off your steps and down your walkway, stopping only to shut the little white fence that encompassed your lawn.  
  
"Bye!" You called after her and she turned to give you a final wave from her own porch before she disappeared into her house. You went inside and made a beeline for the kitchen.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, you had your feet kicked up, a mug of coffee in your hands, and buttered toast on a dish on the coffee table. You turned on the TV and flicked through channels as Morris joined you. You gave him a good scratch and he planted himself on your thighs. “So, we met the new neighbors, Morris. Well, one of them. What do you think?” He pressed his head against your stomach and began to purr. “Yeah. I like her too.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments, guys :D

You sat in the passenger’s seat of the ambulance watching Teddy, your partner, yack away with the cashier at the register of the EZ-Mart, a convenience store you frequented on night shifts. Only one call had come in so far and the patient refused transport, which was smart on their behalf. A huge bill wasn’t worth it for the minor injuries they had incurred from being dropped during a keg stand. It was one of the first quiet shifts you’d had in a while and it was a blessing. The past week or so had seen an influx of people doing stupid dangerous things and the little EMS crew you were a part of was strapped and everyone was getting cranky. Hopefully the quiet Friday was a precursor to an easy week. You could really use some time spent doing nothing.

Inside the store, Teddy was leaning against the counter making big exaggerated _I'm-violating-HIPAA-telling-the-cashier-this-story_ gestures  You could see the coffees and small hoard of snacks on the counter between them and narrowed your eyes. You really wanted that damn coffee and he was taking his sweet time. A sudden buzz in your pocket made you jump and you pulled out your phone. It went off several more times as a string of texts popped up. The first message was a picture of a big fat orange and white cat sitting on a table next to Panera take-home. His body was shopped to look like a loaf of bread—an angry, angry loaf of bread.

 

 **Alphys [3:22 a.m.]:** Hey!

 **Alphys [3:22 a.m.]:** It’s Alphys!

 **Alphys [3:22 a.m.]:** That reminded me of ur cat!

 **Alphys [3:22 a.m.]:** haha

 

You smiled, pulled up your pictures and sent her one of him looking particularly portly with some flab hanging over the windowsill where he was sitting. 

 

 **You: [3:23 a.m.]:**  Looks just like him xD 

 **You [3:23 a.m.]:** fat boi

 **Alphys [3:23 a.m.]:**  an absolute unit (･ω･)b  

 **Alphys [3:23 a.m.]:** lol ^-ω-^

 **Alphys [3:24 a.m.]:** I wanted to tell you I talked to Undyne

 **Alphys [3:24 a.m.]:** ((Undynes my girlfriend btw haha ✿◠‿◠))

 **Alphys [3:24 a.m.]:** She suggested dinner @ our house on Sunday

 **Alphys [3:25 a.m.]:** If that’s OK

 **Alphys [3:25 a.m.]:** not that there’s anything wrong with your house!!

 

You snorted out a laugh. Even texting you, despite seeming slightly more confident without the whole having to look at you thing, she was worried about how she came across. She was so awkward, but it was endearing. She reminded you of your younger sister when she was a teenager. Poor girl couldn’t go a minute without thinking she was a walking talking garbage can. Thank God she grew out of that.  

 

 **Alphys [3:26 a.m.]:** She just kind of…

 **Alphys [3:26 a.m.]:** Likes home-turf advantage? If that makes sense lol

 

It did. You liked doing things at your house for exactly that reason.

 

 **You [3:26 a.m.]:** Gotcha. What time did you wanna do?

 **Alphys [3:28 a.m.]:** Is 6:30 good 4 u?

 **You [3:28 a.m.]:** Yup yup

 **You [3:28 a.m.]:** I’m looking forward to meeting Undyne lol

 **Alphys [3:29 a.m.]:** Ur gonna love her!! every1 does (♡´౪`♡)

 **Alphys [3:30 a.m.]:** & her and Papyrus are cooking!

 **Alphys [3:30 a.m.]:**  They've been taking lessons and r REALLY good now!

 **Alphys [3:30 a.m.]:** you'll meet papyrus 2 haha he’s also gonna be here unday

 **Alphys [3:30 a.m.]:** *Sunday

 **Alphys [3:31 a.m.]:** I hope that’s OK (ーー;) Sorry I 4got to mention

 

You made the ‘oh, honey’ face again. Had you stopped making it since the conversation started?

 

 **You [3:31 a.m.]:** haha of course. The more the merrier  

 **Alphys [3:31 a.m.]:** 〔´∇｀〕when its w/ friends  

 **You [3:32 a.m.]:** Yeah :) 

 

A sudden harsh knock on the driver’s side window made you jump, and you looked up to see Teddy grinning at you like an idiot.

“Surprise ya?” He asked, getting in and handing you your coffee. You rolled your eyes and laughed.

“Asshole.”

“Pfft. Would an asshole get your favorite snack for you?”

“Did you?”

“Yes.” He held out a white baggie from the pastry counter.

“Well, then I guess so.” He booed you and threw the bag at your lap, then leaned back in his seat and took an obscenely loud gulp of coffee.

“You were really invested in whatever you were doing on your phone. You’re lucky I’m not a murderer or totally would'a just-” He made a stabbing gesture accompanied by an _'errk errk errk!'._

“Oh yeah, I’m so sure.” You licked the glaze off your fingers from the cinnamon roll you had just started eating and went back to texting Alphys. 

 

 -

 

You stepped out of the shower early Sunday evening and went to your closet to dig around for something to wear to dinner. You and Alphys had been texting back and forth quite a bit since Saturday morning when she first messaged you. Between the downright stupid Reddit posts you were throwing at each other, you actually managed to learn a lot about her.

She was a complete nerd for anime and manga, especially something called Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, which you agreed to watch with her after she completely lost it when you told her you’d never seen it. She was from a part of the Underground called Hotland, she met Undyne in a garbage dump, and she actually _was_ a scientist. She worked in a lab for a long time but was mum to the details of what she did there. Her specialties where bioengineering and quantum mechanics, but she had hung up those accolades to teach Science 101 to 6th graders, which she loved doing. You were glad the two of you had chatted so much. Knowing at least one person somewhat well would make for a much less awkward dinner.

You were unsure what to wear. It obviously wasn’t a formal thing, but you didn’t want to go in a hoodie and lazy day pants. You weren’t that close yet. After much shoving and digging through your clothes, you found a long sleeve sweater with a v-cut collar and decided to pair it with jeans and boots. It was good for the chilly weather and seemed appropriate. You got dressed, poked in a pair of earrings, put on a little makeup and turned to Morris, who was sitting on your bed watching you with impassive interest.

“What do you think?” He stood up, hopped off the bed, and headed to the door. You huffed and turned back to look at yourself in the mirror standing by the closet. “Oh, what do you know?” You grumbled as his tail disappeared. “You wear the same thing every day.”

At 6:20 you headed across the street and up the steps to knock on the door. You had a bottle of wine in your hand as a sort of housewarming/thanks for dinner present. It was a Chardonnay you had gotten some time ago in case you wanted to get wine-drunk but you were glad you had saved it since you didn’t get a chance to go to the liquor store. You heard loud heavy footsteps from inside and a second later the door swung open, leaving you face-to-sternum with a grinning skeleton in a pink apron that said ' _Smooch the Cook_ '. He was much taller than you and you were no short stack, yet you still had to tip your head back to look him in the eye lights

“HELLO, HUMAN!” You fought a flinch at the volume of his voice. “YOU MUST BE Y/N!” 

“Uh, yeah.” You laughed. “That’s me!” He grinned down at you and stepped aside to usher you in. 

“I,” he began with a flourish, “AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS. YOU’VE NO DOUBT HEARD OF ME.” You actually had in your conversations with Alphys, and nodded your head. He seemed absolutely thrilled by this. “REALLY? WOWIE! I MEAN-,” he cleared his nonexistent throat, “OF COURSE YOU HAVE. I AM, AS I HAVE SAID, VERY GREAT AFTER ALL.” A light orange blush tinted his cheekbones as you stepped inside, and he shut the door. He put a massive hand on your back and steered you through the foyer. You felt your own face heat up at the feeling of his long thin fingers pressing against you but said nothing. It didn’t make you uncomfortable. It was actually a very pleasant sensation. 

You heard a clicking sound that reminded you of Morris skittering along the linoleum when he needed his claws trimmed, and Alphys popped her head through the arch that led to the kitchen. 

“H-hey! Y/N!” You could see that her hands were wet, probably from washing dishes. She went to wipe them on the pink skirt she was wearing but clutched them into fists and resisted the urge.

“How’s it going?” You asked, joining her in the kitchen as she grabbed a dish towel.

“Great! Hah-hah…I heard Papyrus, hah, i-introduce himself. So,” she smiled, and you were happy to notice that, while it was still a little awkward looking, she seemed much less nervous, “I don’t have to do that n-now.” Next to you, Papyrus pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and motioned for you to sit down.

“Oh, hah, thank you. And yeah, it’s nice to put a face to the name.” You sat and he made a little ‘ _nyeh heh heh_ ’, the smattering of orange still on his face growing darker.

“I CAN SAY THE SAME.” He went to the stove where a pan and large pot sat on burners and stirred one with what looked like very difficult to maintain gentleness. “ALPHYS HAS MENTIONED YOU IN CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN I, UNDYNE, AND HER.” You glanced at Alphys and she quickly pretended to be very invested in gathering the correct silverware and wine glasses.

“So, what’s for dinner?” 

“RAVIOLI! IT’S STUFFED WITH PUMPKIN AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH!" You gave yourself a mental high-five. The Chardonnay would go great with that. “HUMANS HAVE SO MANY KINDS OF PASTA. UNDYNE AND I HAVE BEEN COOKING OUR WAY THROUGH THEM.” 

“Pasta’s a big favorite for you?” 

“YES! WELL…” He paused as he strained the ravioli. “IT IS MORE SO NOW THAT I LEARNED HOW TO PREPARE IT PROPERLY.” You watched him as he worked. He really did seem to know what he was doing.

The smell of the ravioli and buttery sage sauce still cooking on the stove was suddenly cut with what smelled like your favorite sushi place, like nori. Alphys face lit up and her smile lost any residual tension that was clinging to it.

“Undyne!” You looked over your shoulder and standing under the kitchen archway a fish monster. Undyne, obviously. She, like Papyrus, was tall but much more…intimidating than the sweet-looking skeleton. She was muscular and had cornflower blue scales, a glowing yellow eye, and red hair. She was tugging at the collar of the button up she was wearing with a cranky look on her face. “This is Y/N!” You stood and offered her your hand.

She stopped fussing with her shirt and walked to you, a hand on her hip. “So, you're the meme peddler, huh?” Her lips pulled back from big sharp crooked teeth in a smile, and she took your hand. You balked at the immense pressure of her grasp as she jostled your whole arm like a jump rope. “It’s nice to meet ya!” She let you go and you flexed your hand trying to coax feeling back into it.

“You too. Alphys talks about you non-stop.” It was true. No matter what the two of you chatted about, Undyne was almost always brought up in some way. Not enough for you to get a good feel on her, but you did get some inkling. 

She walked past you and bent down to give Alphys a smooch on the head. "Aw, haha! You have a crush on me, you nerd!”

 “O-Of course I do! We’re d-dating!” Her face flushed and she reached up to adjust the collar of Undyne's shirt. “You look really nice in this.”

 “Pfft. It’s sooo uncomfortable.” She looked at you. "Alphys said a tank top wasn't 'appropriate' for a first-time dinner with someone." 

 “UNDYNE, THE SAUCE IS DONE.” Turning away, she went to join Papyrus at the stove and they began plating. You smiled at Alphys and nodded your head in Undyne’s direction. She reddened and tilted her shoulders like an infatuated school girl. Then she picked up the wine bottle and read over the label. 

“Thanks for b-bringing this!” She stuck one of her curved nails into the cork and twisted, pulling it out with a pop. You waved her off.

“Thank _you_ for having me over. I’ve been eating like I hate myself lately. I'm dying for a good homecooked meal.”

“YOU’RE IN THE LUCK THEN!” Papyrus said as he turned and approached the table with four plates that were somehow balanced on his arms. He put one before each of the four chairs around the table and you all sat down to eat.

The food was fantastic. It was a far cry from the junk you’d been eating since you had taken up night shifts and you scarfed it down. Papyrus was absolutely ecstatic when you asked for seconds. The conversation was on par with the meal. The history between the three of them was obvious and you were treated to a wealth of stories.

Underground, Undyne was captain of the Royal Guard (which you assumed was a more badass version of the Queen’s Guard, since you couldn’t picture her just standing around for hours at a time), and she had been training Papyrus to become a member. Then the barrier was broken, and he discovered new niches to pursue while she settled right into a job as a police officer. Alphys talked about her job a little more as well. The position was one a friend of hers suggested. She had been extremely nervous about lecturing an audience, even if they were eleven and twelve-year-olds, but found that she could barely contain herself when she was given free rein to discuss something she was so passionate about. The entire time she talked, Undyne watched her with rapt adoration and, even though it was the first time you had seen the two of them together, it was obvious how in love they were. It made your heart melt.

Every gap in the conversation with Undyne and Alphys was filled with Papyrus talking, his attention pointed at you. He told you how much he loved cooking. It was something he enjoyed doing Underground but was disappointed to learn that he wasn’t actually good at it and the friends he cooked for were humoring him because they knew how happy it made him to see them ‘enjoy’ something he’d made just for them. He described it as a humbling experience that had launched his current culinary pursuits. Along with lessons, he’d landed a job as a line cook and was learning all the basics he’d need for the next step in his career. He had a brother who was in the process of opening a little restaurant/comedy club kind of place and he’d said he could have a spot in the kitchen. You told him you’d have to stop by when it opened because you’d love to have his cooking again.

He made a thrilled noise and his perma-smile widened to a point that it almost looked painful. Reaching across the table, he took your hand in his and looked at you with intense passion. “HUMAN! THERE’S NO NEED TO WAIT! I’LL COOK FOR YOU WHENEVER YOU WANT!”

“Aw, Papyrus, you don’t-”

“DON’T ARGUE! IT’S A JOY, NOT A BURDEN!” Undyne tossed back her head and laughed.

“Yeah, kid, don’t even try to stop him! Lemme tell ya, if Papyrus has something in his head to do, he won't stop until its done.” He was still holding your hand and he was glowing with innocent joy from being praised. Your eyes and his lights connected for a moment and the smile that spread on your face probably looked goofy as hell. You couldn’t help it. He was just so damn charming.

Eventually, he pulled his hands away from yours and the discussion moved on to you. You told them about your job as a paramedic, your family, where you had gone to college, and when Undyne pulled the subject up, you told them that you were single. You were really enjoying yourself. The conversation and atmosphere around the table was so friendly and comfortable that you felt like you’d known the trio for years, not days (or hours in Papyrus’ case). They were treating you almost like they had, keeping you in the mix of the chit-chat no matter the topic. 

The talking continued, dinner finished, dessert was had, and at 10:00 you were standing on their front porch, exchanging numbers. You said goodnight and headed out. When you reached your door you stopped, feeling almost compelled by something to turn around. When you did, you saw Papyrus standing by his car, eye lights on you and a cute silly expression on his face bones. He realized he'd been caught, but embraced the situation and waved at you. "GOODBYE, HUMAN!" 

“Goodnight, Papyrus!” You called back and waved, before going inside with a smile that wouldn't leave. 

 

-

 

A little later, you were lying in bed listening to some cheesy horror movie on Netflix as you drifted in and out of sleep. Your phone, sitting on your bedside table, dinged and you drowsily reached for it. You had two FaceSpace notifications, friend requests from Undyne and Papyrus (you had obviously already friended Alphys). After accepting them, you clicked on Papyrus's profile. You hadn't failed to be aware of how your thoughts kept going back to him since you got home. Not in depth or of a contemplative nature, but just passing little thoughts as you went about getting ready for bed. You looked over his page, which he had customized with a gray border that had an orange and white bones pattern. He had several hundred friends to match the several hundred photos he'd uploaded over the last few years. 

You clicked through them, feeling just the tiniest bit giddy as image after image of him went by, but stopped when you came to one of him and a much shorter skeleton. He was bent at an angle with his long arms wrapped around his stocky shoulders. The other skeleton had his hands tucked in the pockets of his hoodie and his eye lights were drifting to the right instead of directly at the camera, like Papyrus's were. He had a tiny little cone-shaped hat on that declared him a  _Birthday Boy_ and his cheekbones were blue from the attention being piled on him. 

The caption of the picture said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST BROTHER!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fight me if you think Alphys wouldn't abuse emoticons ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Anyway, I hope this chapter, in which everyone was blushing, was okay. See you guys next time :)

**Author's Note:**

> So, that's the first chapter :) Hope you guys liked it. In the next chapter, all of our favorite faces start to show up. It shouldn't take too long to get out, so stay tuned if you're interested!


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